Of all the assertions made by parties on both sides of the heightening debate about China’s subsidies of its solar panel manufacturing companies one reality should be more clear with each passing day: At the heart of the race for solar manufacturing leadership are the shortcomings of energy policies that could help consumers invest more…

By Jigar Shah, Chair, Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy Below The Energy Fix shares the case AGAINST a tariff on solar panels imported from China. The case FOR a tariff was published here February 14. Last October the US subsidiary of German-based SolarWorld, a manufacturer of polysilicon solar cells, filed a complaint with the U.S….

The visits this week in Washington, Iowa and Los Angeles by the presumed next general secretary of the Chinese Communist party, Xi Jinping, underscore the stakes for solar energy companies that buy panels from Chinese companies and companies with operations in the U.S. whose prices are being undercut by China’s subsidies. The U.S. Commerce Department…

Conversations with analysts and advocates on both sides of SolarWorld’s anti-dumping suit against China lead me believe the U.S. cannot beat its communist counterparts on cost. What it CAN do is set policies that convince U.S. financiers that solar energy is worth investing in. This way, fresh capital can flow to U.S. companies so they…

Time for something different . . . from a source you may not be familiar with, at least about energy: hat’s off to National Geographic magazine. Try your own hand at these 10 questions, without searching for the answers. “Great Energy Challenge” 2011 News Quiz questions (answers at the end of this post): 1. How…

With the unanimous 6-0 decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission December 2 enabling a thorough probe of claims that Chinese solar panel manufacturers are ‘dumping’ their products in the U.S. market at below the cost of making and marketing them, an all-out trade war looms. Without long-term, innovative thinking by both sides, the ultimate…

As the next round of international negotiations about a possible climate change treaty — the 17th to be exact since the Kyoto Treaty was signed in 1992 — get up to speed in Durban, South Africa, it’s becoming increasingly clear that an environmental emergency stands the best chance of compelling industrialized countries to act. That’s…

From this week’s RETECH conference and expo in Washington, DC, there seem few realistic aspirations for energy, clean tech and other entrepreneurs to protect their intellectual property if manufacturing in China or selling to Chinese markets. It is the 600-pound gorilla at just about every conference gathering with an Chinese dimension to it. While moderating…

While the U.S. Congress, President Obama and the Tea Party wrangle over debt ceilings and deficit spending, a far more potent threat looms as a growing number of intelligence experts warn of how a massive solar flare or a nuclear missile detonated above the United States could kill wipe out the power grid, disable consumer…

With a bit of interpretation from yours truly, here’s a quick read on this year’s Clean Edge report on ‘Clean Tech’ job trends: 1. Clean-tech jobs are spouting in Mexico, not just China. It’s proximity to North American markets begs for more investment there. 2. Feed-in-fariffs are boosting renewable energy apptetites, but payment formulas can make progress unsustainable. Check out…

about The Energy Fix

Jim Pierobon is Founder and principal writer of The Energy Fix. He is a policy, marketing and social media strategist who has reported on, testified and consulted about smarter grids, cyber-security as it affects the power grid, fossil fuel shortages, price spikes, energy efficiency and the rise and fall -- and the rise again of nuclear and renewable energy sources.